RANGERS chairman Andrew Cavenagh gave under-fire boss Russell Martin his full support yesterday in a transatlantic heart-to-heart.
SunSport can reveal the US-based Ibrox chief contacted Martin for crisis talks on Sunday afternoon.
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And Cavenagh made it clear to the 39-year old he is NOT facing the sack on the back of the 2-0 weekend defeat to Hearts.
Irate supporters called for Martin to go with their team languishing in TENTH place in the Premiership without a single league victory from their first five games.
Livid Light Blues punters chanted “sacked in the morning” to their own beleaguered boss as the Jambos won a top-flight match at Ibrox for the first time since 2012.
But Cavenagh has refused to be influenced by the fans fury – with Martin given the all-clear to continue as manager.
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Gers face Hibs in the Premier Sports Cup this weekend and the mood in the boardroom could change should they crash to another defeat.
But Martin has convinced key man Cavenagh he can turn things around.
The former Southampton boss said on Saturday night he was not expecting any crisis talks.
Quizzed on his future after the defeat to Hearts, he said: “I haven’t been told to have talks with them.
“Will the support remain? I don’t know. We’ll see, won’t we?
“They’ve been great up until now. All of them. So we’ll see.”
Rangers fans belt out anti-Russell Martin chants as Gers go behind vs Hearts
Asked if he would resign, Martin bluntly responded: “No.”
Pressed on the repeated chants aimed at him and the amount of fans who want him out, he said: “I don’t think many of them wanted me here in the first place.
“They’re entitled to their opinion, so I can’t come out here and criticise that.
“The fans are always entitled to their opinion.
“It is what it is. It doesn’t affect me personally.
“Professionally it’s difficult because we need the team to play in a certain way that requires certain things.
“It’s really difficult when the atmosphere is how it is. It’s aimed towards me, not towards them.
“I’m trying to say that to them. It should hopefully take a bit off them at some point.
“But it is what it is. We’ll keep working until I’m told not to. And we have to start winning.”
Meanwhile, James Tavernier admits the Rangers players were left embarrassed and ashamed after Saturday’s hapless showing against Hearts.
Boss Martin is clinging to his job after a catastrophic start to his Ibrox career.
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When asked if there was anger in the dressing room, Tavernier insisted: “I would believe so.
“Coming in after that game, it’s embarrassing.
“It’s 2-0 at home.
“It’s not really to create many chances.
“Obviously, some of the decisions, I felt, could have gone differently.
“The first goal, our goal, but that’s still no excuse for the general game on Saturday.
“It hurts and so it should.
“But we, as a team, cannot go astray and start going by ourselves.
“We have to really stick together and prove a point to the fans.
“I think football has changed quite a lot over the years. As in players, as in characters in play.
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